This invention relates to infection control, and more particularly to disposal of sharp, contaminated medical devices such as needles.
It is known that used medical products are a source of infection, from both microbial and viral agents. Hepatitis and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) are two examples of viral infections known to be transmitted by contaminated medical products such as syringe needles. As a result, these used medical products are handled very carefully for disposal. Unfortunately, this careful handling is not always sufficient to prevent infection. Needle sticks of medical personnel, for example, is a recognized problem of long standing.
There are devices designed to solve the problem of needle sticks, but they could be improved. For example, there are sheaths which come with the needles which prevent needle sticks before the needles are used. However, these devices are typically long and slender and require the medical professional to hold the sheath in one hand while moving the needle into the sheath with the other hand to "resheath" the needle. Resheathing has become a major source of needle sticks. Furthermore, even if resheathing were desirable, it is not always possible to find the sheath which fits the particular needle which the medical professional wants to resheath at a given time.
Rubber stoppers are also used for resheathing. These devices may be placed on a table, thereby obviating the need to hold them in one hand while moving the needle with the other. However, rubber stoppers do have some disadvantages. Needles can pass through them easily, thereby exposing the medical professional to the renewed risk of a needle stick. Sometimes, needles also slip out of the rubber stoppers completely, again exposing the user to a renewed risk of a needle stick. These devices do nothing to kill or inactivate the infectious agents, so any failure of the devices is critical.
It is also known that dilute solutions of household chlorine bleach are effective in killing or inactivating infectious agents. Therefore, authorities have recommended cleaning used needles in bleach before reusing the needles. This procedure, however, is not suggested for single-use, disposable needles (which make up the bulk of the needles used by healthcare professionals), and it is not practical for use in the hospital or doctor's office because of the necessity of carrying a cleaning kit along with the medical professional on his or her rounds.